Your thoughts on after market heated seats....

[recycled sixtie]

Well my 2001 Box base goes in to another indy shop to get the P1341 code corrected. The local shop installed a camshaft position sensor but that did not correct the problem and the CEL light came on a couple of days later. It is about a month since the Box has been out of commission what with waiting for parts etc.

Was car shopping with the wife yesterday and we looked at a Lexus RX350 but that is too big and too much $$$. The wife liked it but I found it too big and not much fun.

On the lot was a used 2011 Toyota Rav4 with 30k miles on it. It drove well and I felt at one with the car. It has auto trans but no heated seats. Salesman says they could be installed.

So a couple of questions for you. How good are after market installed heated seats?
The ride on this 2011 was not too stiff unlike a new Rav4 I tried the other day. So can I assume that the ride gets softer(ie less firm) as a car gets older. I liked the ride on this 2011. One more question? Most of the small suvs have insufficient heat in cold weather. The RAV4 is one of the few that is not mentioned in this area
in the internet so can I assume that it is toasty in winter?

Thanks in advance! As always you guys and girls rock!
Cheers and have a good day.
Guy

[coldstart]

I installed a set on my girlfriend's 4-Runner last Xmas. They work great and heat both the upper and lower portions of the seat. Good installation is key. You can buy the heating pads and harness yourself and install if you know what you are doing.

The seat heating pads and non-stock harnesses and switches were cheap.

The Toyota stock harnesses and switches were expensive. I could not find stock looking switches that fit in the OEM slots for the 4-Runner.

My girlfriend was ecstatic over the gift.

[1990C4S]

I have replaced them in an old car, I don't know why aftermarket would be any different.

[CHICKS]

I installed this kit into my tahoe: Amazon.com: Dorman 628-040 Universal Seat Heater Kit: Automotive

Super easy install, well made kit, and it keeps my ass warm. I'll start the truck, turn on the heated seat, scrape ice, hop in and the seat's hot. I wish I would have installed it sooner.

[GH85Carrera]

From the two people i know that had them added:

One just loves everything about it. The other does not like how the switches were added. If there is a place to use the factory style switches it would be OK.

Just ask about the placement of the controls for the heated seats if they are aftermarket.

[Teutonics]

Wife's car has aftermarket/dealer installed seat warmers. As stated previously, they work well (high setting works too well!) but switch quality and placement is questionable. Go for the factory switches and location if possible.

One other comment: If at a dealer see if you can sit in a car with them and then without them to compare. I'm not sure if it is the factory seats or the seat warmers because they were installed before we got the car, but in my wife's car it feels like you sit "on" the seats instead of "in" them.... almost like the warmers might add to the stiffness of the seating surface. Or it could be just crappy GM product.

[jyl]

Our Prius has aftermarket heated seats, work great.